Record number of cyclists swarmed Budapest

“The usual, normal daily records were broken on several cycling measuring points in Budapest on Saturday, May 10. The growth of cyclist traffic can be seen throughout the entire city,” reports the announcement of the ‘Magyar Kerékpárosklub’ (Hungarian Cyclist’s Club).

Hvg writes that according to the organisation, it was the first time they saw this many cyclists over at the Bem Quay and Árpád Bridge cycling measuring points since the I bike Budapest parade in 2018, at the time of which over 25,000 people were present in total. According to the club, the data proves that many more people in Budapest would use bicycles if there were more proper bicycle lanes.

The results of the organisation’s measurements show that the cycle paths at the Buda embankment and at Árpád Bridge are the most popular, but at the same time, cyclist traffic on Hungária Boulevard and at the Weiss Manfréd Street cycle path leading to Csepel has also increased. There were more than 6,000 cyclists on the Bem Quay on Saturday and about 3,800 on the Árpád Bridge.

Regarding the briefing of the ‘Magyar Kerékpárosklub’, 24 wrote that according to the organisation,

Bartók Béla Street is the most popular among the new bicycle lanes in Budapest.

During weekdays, more people have used – about 3,600 just on Friday – the bike lane connecting the Danube with the Kelenföld railway station than the one on Árpád Bridge or Múzeum Avenue. The daily traffic of the bicycle lane going along Nagykörút (Grand Boulevard) can be estimated at 1,600 at the Oktogon area.

The last couple of weeks have supported the findings of previous research that say that bicycle is a solution available to the majority of residents in Budapest, but many people do not use bicycles because they are afraid of the usually crowded car lanes. Therefore, it is necessary to continue the developments of cycling lanes and paths in Budapest, MTI quoted the statement.

Read alsoBudapest turned empty roads into bike lanes because of coronavirus

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The club also proposed that new bicycle lanes should be created in the following places in Hungary’s capital: on Baross Street, Elnök Street, Dohány and Wesselényi Street, on Gázgyár, Szőlő, and Vihar Street, József Attila, Apáczai, Szemere, and Honvéd Street, on Vágóhíd Street, at the crossing on Tompa Street, and on Irinyi József and Karolina Road.

You can certainly go cycling during this crisis; it helps to keep you healthy, but in order to be safe, be sure to visit a place or visit it in a time that is not busy. Make sure to keep yourself to the guidelines of your municipality and try to avoid human contact as much as possible. Stay safe, be healthy.

Source: Hvg.hu, 24.hu